Mighty Men (w. 2) - "Serving the King" - 1 Chronicles 11 + 2 Samuel 23

“The Posture of Mighty Men”

Welcome

Let me remind you how our book works.

Schedule:

March 16

March 30

Importance of being here:

it can produce accountability

fellowship

Recap:

We began our study last week discussing how these Mighty Men loved and served their king.

Mighty men love and serve the PERSON and PURPOSE of the King.

So for these men, their King was:

Anointed and Appointed

Steward and Shepherd

Betrayed and Badblood

Trials and Temptation

Champion and Conqueror.

More than David, our King is way greater at all of these things.

Discuss:

Of the reading we had last week, what attribute, description or actions stood out to you about our King?

Did these scriptures prove that we should be even more loyal and loving toward our king? Why or why not?

Outline:

“The Posture of Mighty Men”

Growing up, if my parents would ask me to do something.

More often than not, I would wait until their words were at a higher volume before I would listen.

Instead of listening to them at the whisper.

Mighty Men are men that position themselves to (1) hear what their King says in order to (2) heed what their King says.

Simply put:

Mighty Men hear and heed the desires and demands of their King.

Mighty Men live their lives with a posture to serve and please their King.

1. Their Location

notice:

a. Their Encampment

Where were they?

a. Into the cave of Adullam: David spent time in this cave when those who would become his mighty men first came to him in 1 Samuel 22:1-2. This passage describes something that happened either during that time or a later time of battle against the Philistines when David went back to the cave of Adullam.

a. 2 Samuel 23 - Came to David at the cave of Adullam: David spent time in this cave when those who would become his mighty men first came to him in 1 Samuel 22:1-2. This passage describes something that happened either during that time or a later time of battle against the Philistines when David went back to the cave of Adullam.

When were they there?

during the time of the harvest.

b. Their Enemy

Sometimes the position of the enemy can cause mighty men to be paralyzed.

Their location served as a benefit for these mighty men.

Why?

It took away their comfort

It caused them to make calculated decisions.

Discuss:

Would you consider yourself

2. Their Lord

Notice:

a. These Desires were Honest

Oh that someone would give me a drink of the water from the well of Bethlehem by the gate.

b. These Desires were Heard

This is where

Discuss: What hinders you from hearing from God? Has their been a time in your life when you felt like you couldn’t hear from God?

How does God speak?

Three different words in the original Scriptures are translated Word of God:

Graphe - means the words on the page, the ink, the paper - literally the book.

important to have the Bible and a copy of God’s Word

not the word Paul uses when talking about the sword of the Spirit

Logos - means the message of the graphe.

logos is what the passage is actually meaning.

helps you see clearly what is sinful & what is good

not the word Paul uses…final word :

Rhema - The Word of God is the utterance of God, the spoken Word of God to you in your life.

The Rhema is the moment when you feel like you’re the only one the preacher is preaching to in a service

when you’re having your personal quiet time, and it’s like the Holy Spirit just highlighted a verse or passage for you

when God is speaking directly to you from His Word.

How do you posture yourself to hear God’s Word?

a. Dependence on the Savior

b. Dying to Self

Declaration of Sin

1 John 1:7–9 KJV 1900

7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. 8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

c. These Desires were Heeded

3. Their Labor

Notice

Act of Love

Act of Honor

Act of Bravery

3. (1 Chronicles 11:15-19) David’s mighty men and the mission of the water of Bethlehem.

b. The garrison of the Philistines was then in Bethlehem: This shows how extensively the Philistines had invaded Israel in the days of Saul.

c. And David said with longing: Hiding in Adullam Cave, David nostalgically remembered the taste of the water from his boyhood village. He probably longed for it all the more because it seemed that he couldn’t have it.

2 Samuel 23 - David said with longing, “Oh, that someone would give me a drink of the water from the well of Bethlehem”: During this time David had a nostalgic longing for the taste of water from a well near his boyhood home.

i. We can be caught in the trap of these wistful longings. “Sometimes longings like his take possession of us. We desire to drink again the waters of comparative innocence, of childlike trust and joy; to drink again of the fountains of human love; to have the bright, fresh rapture in God, and nature, and home. But it is a mistake to look back. Here and now, within us, Jesus is waiting to open the well of living water which springs up to eternal life, of which if we drink we never thirst.” (Meyer)

ii. Instead, we should look to the Lord right now with confidence for the future instead of dreaming about the past. “Purity is better than innocence; the blessedness which comes through suffering is richer than the gladsomeness of childhood; the peace of the heart is more than peace of circumstances.” (Meyer)

d. So the three broke through the camp of the Philistines: In response to David’s longing — which wasn’t a command or even a request, just a vocalized longing — three of David’s mighty men decided to give him what he was longing for. They had to break through the garrison of the Philistines to do it, and to bring the water all the way back to Adullam Cave. It was a dangerous and difficult mission, but the courage and persistence of the mighty men made it happen.

e. Nevertheless David would not drink it, but poured it out to the LORD: David was so honored by the self-sacrifice of these three mighty men he felt that the water was too good for him — and worthy to be poured out in sacrifice to the LORD. He believed that the great sacrifice of these men could only be honored by giving the water to the LORD.

i. “The point of David’s pouring Bethlehem’s precious water on the ground is threefold. It highlights a great act of Israelite bravery, it exalts David’s ability to inspire extraordinary loyalty, and it was recognized as an act of worship.” (Selman)

Another commentary:

THREE MEN AND A LITTLE DRINK (VV 13-17)

The incident described in these verses could have occurred before David became king, while he was still fleeing from Saul. The “cave of Adullam” is first mentioned in 1 Samuel 22:1. This is where David located after he fled from Gath. It is where a number of his kinsmen joined him, along with others who were also out of favor with Saul. At some point in time, David and his men were in this cave while they were at war with the Philistines. The Philistines had taken possession of David’s hometown of Bethlehem and were garrisoned there. Perhaps as they were running out of water and David was thirsty, he verbalized what was meant only as a wish. If only he could have but a drink from that well in Bethlehem. No doubt he had drunk from it many times in his younger years and grown particularly fond of the water it provided.

Some of his men could not help but overhear what David said. He had given no orders to fetch him some water from that well. He had not even intended that anyone would be prompted by his words to attempt to get some water from it. But to these three brave men, David’s wish was their command. The men left the safety of the cave, marched some 12 miles or so to Bethlehem, broke through the enemy lines, drew water for David, and then marched back another 12 miles to bring it to him.

When presented with this water, David did what at first seems very unusual 125– he refused to drink the water, and instead poured it out on the ground. This is not because he disdained the efforts of these courageous men, nor because he did not wish to drink the water. I believe his actions demonstrated that he refused to drink the water because the courage of those who obtained it was too noble to do otherwise. David never intended to put these men’s lives at risk, merely to satisfy his own desires.126 The kind of devotion his men showed to him was the kind of devotion that belonged to God. Pouring this water out before the Lord was David’s highest expression of appreciation and regard for these men. The water was a symbol of the blood these men nearly shed, serving him. The highest use to which this water could be put was the worship of God, and so David poured it out to the Lord.

Another Commentary

Verses 16, 17. - Brake through the host (or, camp) of the Philistines. The Philistine camp was pitched in the valley of Rephaim, and to reach Bethlehem, which was more than twenty or twenty-five miles distant, these three heroes must pass close to the ground occupied by the enemy. The valley of Rephaim, in fact, extended from Jerusalem to Bethlehem, and, to guard their position, the Philistines held Bethlehem with a strong garrison. Of course the heroes would use every precaution; for to be discovered would be certain death. The story of their perils and presence of mind in danger, and hairbreadth escape, would be full of interest; but we are told only that they succeeded, and returned in safety, bearing their precious burden; but David would not drink, and poured it out unto Jehovah. The word is that used of a sacrificial libation; for David regarded it as holy, and consecrated to God, because it had been bought with blood - at the risk, that is, of the lives of these gallant men. Nothing is recorded in the romances of the Middle Ages, when knightly chivalry was at its height, more gallant and noble than the exploit of these men. And the very essence of its devotion lay in the fact that it was done to gratify a mere sick longing, and therefore out of pure love. Sick, no doubt, David was, and burning with fever; and even more depressed by the apparent hopelessness of his position. The exploit changed the course of his thoughts. What could he not do with such heroes! Though racked during their absence with anxiety and self-reproach, yet on their return he would be dispirited no longer, but filled with confidence. The words, "Shall I drink?" inserted in the Revised Version, have apparently dropped out of the text by accident. They are found in the parallel place in Chronicles, and in the Septuagint and Vulgate here. The Syriac has, "At the peril of their life's blood these men went." 2 Samuel 23:16

2 Samuel 23:16 KJV 1900

16 And the three mighty men brake through the host of the Philistines, and drew water out of the well of Beth-lehem, that was by the gate, and took it, and brought it to David: nevertheless he would not drink thereof, but poured it out unto the Lord.

Another Commentary